Top separatists said the unilateral ceasefire is “a cruel joke with the freedom loving people of Kashmir, who are engaged in a legitimate movement for right to self-determination.”

Statesman News Service | Jammu | May 17, 2018 6:52 pm

Syed Ali Geelani (Photo: IANS/File)

The Kashmiri separatists on Thursday rejected the ceasefire announced by the Centre and described it as a “cruel joke with the freedom loving people of Kashmir.”

Top separatists, Syed Alishah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, in a brief meeting at Geelani’s residence deliberated on various dimensions of the Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s initiative and described it as “a cruel joke with the freedom loving people of Kashmir, who are engaged in a legitimate movement for right to self-determination.”

They said that the people of Kashmir believe in permanent peace rather than a “relaxation in killing for one month. People want a permanent halt on war thrust by India”.

Terming the unilateral ceasefire as a “ploy to hoodwink the public opinion on both national and international level”, the separatists advised Indian authorities to shun “arrogance and accept Kashmir as a dispute”.

“Declaration of one month’s truce and sticking to a loud denial to solve the Kashmir dispute is a mere hypocrisy. It is highly illogical and unfortunate to offer relaxations in killings for one month and then restart it with impunity”, separatist leaders said.

They called for a total shutdown in Kashmir during Prime Minister Narendera Modi’s visit on 19 May and asked the people to make the “Lal Chowk Chalo” a grand success.